Common Sense
by gredandforgerock
Summary: Harry's ready to disappear after the battle, can anyone talk sense into him?


Harry walked down the stairs to the common room, the only person there was Neville, "Neville, have you seen Hermione, she has all my clothes."

Neville smiled, "Last time I saw her she was headed up to bed."

Harry yawned and asked, "What time is it?"

Neville said, "8:30 am. The battle ended yesterday, you've been asleep for about twenty hours."

Harry said, "Oh. Well I think I'm going to head home."

Neville looked surprised and said, "Professor McGonagall is going to make some announcements at lunch. You may want to stay around for that."

Harry sat in a chair and asked, "Do you know what the announcements are about?"

Neville shrugged, "Probably the Memorial service." Harry nodded and Neville said, "Congratulations by the way good job getting rid of You Know Who."

Harry said, "Thanks, you too. I couldn't have done it without you."

Neville said, "I didn't do anything."

Harry said, "Yes you did. You killed the snake. I couldn't have killed Voldemort with that snake still alive. You helped kill him."

Unknown to Harry and Neville several people had stopped on the stairs when Neville had congratulated Harry. Ginny and Molly where coming from the girls side, while George and Arthur were coming from the boys. They stopped when they heard Harry's reply.

Neville asked, "What did killing the snake do?"

Harry said, "Voldemort had split his soul into eight pieces. one of the pieces was in the snake. As long as that piece was alive Voldemort couldn't die. You stopped one eighth of him."

Neville asked, "So is that what you were doing this year. Finding those pieces and destroying them?"

Harry said, "Yes."

Neville said, "How did you know?"

Harry said, "Professor Dumbledore told me. You remember in second year the Chamber of Secrets?"

Neville nodded, "Ginny told me about that this year. That diary had taken control of her mind, and you saved her by destroying it."

Harry said, "Yes. When he asked me about the book I told him it was like a living memory in that book. And that's what he told everyone it was. But he knew the truth, it was a Horcrux. That's the name of a piece of soul removed like that. Voldemort, whose real name is Tom Riddle, murdered his father and grandparents and used those deaths to make his first one."

On the stairs everyone was looking at Ginny, but she was concentrating on hearing the rest of the story.

Neville grimaced, "So you have to murder someone in order to make one?"

Harry said, "Yes, that's why they're so bad. When you murder someone it rips your soul. He then used some dark magic to remove the soul piece and seal it into an object." Neville shuddered and Harry continued, "Anyway Professor Dumbledore decided that it couldn't be the only one so he began a study of Voldemort's life. He discovered that he had made seven and the eighth piece was in Voldemort's body."

Neville said, "That's horrible, why didn't he destroy them himself instead of making you do it?"

Harry said, "He tried. The summer after our fifth year he went after one. That's what happened to his hand, it had a terrible curse on it. Professor Snape was able to contain the curse in his hand but it would kill him in about a year. So sixth year he taught me everything he knew about Voldemort and told me I could tell Ron and Hermione but no one else. See he planned on them going with me. Ron would keep us going while Hermione would keep us from going too fast."

Neville was shocked, "Why you, why not someone else, some adult?"

Harry said, "The prophecy."

Neville said, "Sorry I destroyed it, you probably needed to know what it said."

Harry said, "No worries Nev. I know what it said. After the ministry incident Professor Dumbledore took me to his office. I was so angry I destroyed the place and he let me. He was feeling guilty, if he hadn't hid the prophecy from me I would have known not to go after it. Since the prophecy was made to him he could tell me what it said."

Neville asked, "What did it say? Sorry you don't have to tell me."

Harry said, "That's alright, The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… Now that was all that Voldemort knew about. The ministry trip was to get the other half, And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have the power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."

On the stairs there wasn't a dry eye. Harry had known for three years what he had to do.

Neville was silent for a moment, "This is going to sound selfish, but I'm glad you were born on the thirty first."

Harry said, "No more selfish than me. I didn't want to do it either. It could have meant either of us, up until he tried to kill me."

Neville said, "I wonder how he knew that I was the weaker one?"

Harry said, "He didn't, and you aren't, he went after me first because I'm a half blood like him. His mother was a witch but his father was a muggle. My Mum was muggleborn. If he would have succeeded in killing me you would have been next."

Ginny grinned at the first part of Harry's reply, Neville needed that. But the smile slid off her face as he continued.

Neville said, "If I can be a bit more nosy, what was the power you had that he didn't know about?"

Harry said, "Love."

Neville said, "I didn't know love was a power."

Harry said, "Most people don't. But Voldemort thought less of love than anyone. He had no one he cared about but himself. My Mum loved me enough to die for me and that protected me from Voldemort the first time. I didn't stop him my Mum did."

Neville asked, "Then what happened in the forest? Why did he think you were dead?"

Harry said, "Well he used the killing curse again, but it didn't work on me right."

On the stairs the four looked at each other with wide eyes.

Neville said, "Was it your Mum's love still working?"

Harry said, "No. I sort of died, but I was given a chance to come back, and love saved me again."

Neville said, "Wha… How… Huh?"

Harry grinned, "I sort of died and went to this place where I talked with Professor Dumbledore. He said that I wasn't completely dead but I could be. I need to decide to come back and finish or go on."

Neville said, "On where?"

Harry laughed, "I asked the same question and all he said was just on."

Neville said, "So you came back to finish Voldemort?"

Harry said, "No I came back to finish my life. I still have a lot I want to do."

Molly smiled.

Neville asked, "So how did love save you if you came back to do stuff?"

Harry said, "Don't say anything because I don't know if it's going to work out our not." Neville nodded and Harry continued, "I came back because I love Ginny and want to have a life with her."

Ginny smiled but a tear rolled down her cheek. George gave her a thumbs up, her father smiled at her and her mother hugged her.

Neville smiled, "So you're love for Ginny saved you. And don't worry I'm sure you'll work it out."

Harry grimaced, "I don't know. She's probably pretty mad at me. I'm sure she told you that I broke up with her at Professor Dumbledore's funeral."

George mouthed, "What?" at Ginny and she put her finger to her mouth to sign for quiet.

Neville said, "I don't think she was mad about that, well maybe at first she was. But when Snape did legilimency on her and found the break up the Carrow's quit harassing her so badly."

Harry said, "What did they do to her."

Neville said, "Well they gave her detention at the feast for chewing to loudly. But Snape did her detention and he searched her memories of you but stopped at the break up. She said he told the Carrow's that she didn't know anything and that you broke up with her so you didn't care about her."

Harry chuckled, "He sure knew how to twist words around. He was the best spy in the world, he played his part to the hilt."

Molly was crying again, and Ginny was patting her arm.

Neville said, "It didn't feel like he was on our side."

Harry said, "What detention did he give you for trying to steal the sword?"

Neville said, "We had to help Hagrid in the forbidden forest. We had to clean up a dead animal carcass. It was really gross but not that difficult."

Harry said, "Can you imagine what it would have been had he handed you over to the Carrow's."

Neville said, "We may have ended up like my parents."

Harry said, "He was protecting you but he had to do it in a way that wouldn't cause suspicion they couldn't know that he was sympathetic."

Neville said, "He certainly did that. Anyway I think Ginny was actually glad that you broke up with her at that point."

Harry said, "If that was all I had to worry about. You know I didn't side with her when she was fighting with her parents to get into the battle. I didn't want her there anymore than they did. I just wanted her to be safe."

Molly looked pointedly at Ginny who tried to look innocent.

Neville said, "After fighting in the battle I think she'll understand that too."

Harry said, "Maybe but I don't think any of them will forgive me for letting Fred die. If I would have just given myself up right away he would still be here."

On the stairs all eyes turned to George. He was listening intently and didn't notice.

Neville said, "You can't know that Harry. No one else would have known how to kill You Know Who."

Harry said, "Call him Voldemort or better yet Tom. Don't fear him he's gone for good now."

Neville said, "Ok no one else would have known how to kill Tom."

Harry said, "Ron and Hermione knew."

Neville asked, "What did you come to find here at the school?"

Harry said, "Another piece of Voldemort's soul."

Neville said, "Did you find it before Pansy wanted to turn you over to Tom."

Harry said, "No but…"

Neville said, "Did Ron or Hermione find it?"

Harry said, "No but..."

Neville said, "Would they have found it without you?"

Harry said, "No but…"

Neville said, "If it wasn't destroyed would he have died."

Harry said, "No but…

Neville said, "Why did you tell me about the snake?"

Harry paused then said, "I knew I was going to die and Professor Dumbledore left three people the knowledge of what to do, so I did the same."

Neville said, "No, it was because you knew Ron and Hermione would be upset by your death and that they might forget it. You did what you had to do. Fred and all the other deaths are because Tom and the Death Eaters. The rest of us are alive because you were able to stop him. I would have died, Ginny would have died and so would the rest of the people here and across England and eventually the world. Don't second guess yourself."

Harry sighed, "You've been spending too much time with Luna." Neville looked at him in question, Harry said, "She has a knack for saying the truths that no one else can and she makes me listen. Sometimes she's flighty but other times she's very wise."

Ginny grinned she knew that was the truth.

Neville grinned, "So are you sticking around to find out what everyone thinks before you run off and hide?"

Harry grimaced, "You've been hanging out with Ginny too long too."

Ginny nearly laughed when Harry said that so she put her hand over her mouth.

Neville laughed, "Come on. Let's get some breakfast. Maybe Hermione will be up soon and you can change, those clothes stink."

Harry laughed as they walked out the common room door.

It took several more minutes but the four on the stairs finally moved. They stood quietly in the common room until George asked, "What's been going on with you and Harry?"

Ginny shrugged and said, "We started going out at the end of last year. Then he broke up with me at Dumbledore's funeral. He said that everyone he ever loved had been killed and he didn't want me to be next. I was a bit distraught over that until Hermione helped me realize that he was saying in a roundabout way that he loved me, she wasn't even sure he understood that. If he wants to get back together now, it's fine with me, I love him too."

Molly said, "And I've been meaning to ask you why didn't you stay in the room of requirement?"

Ginny grinned, "I had to leave because Harry needed to change the room and couldn't as long as I was in there. In his defense Harry did tell me when they were finished I would have to go back in."

George said, "But you didn't listen did you?"

Ginny grinned, "Of course not. I can't believe he thought we would be mad at him for… the deaths."

George said, "Go ahead and say it. Fred's death. It happened we can't change it and no one is to blame but Voldemort."

Arthur said, "I'm glad Neville straightened him out."

George said, "Maybe he can work on Percy and Charlie."

Molly said, "Oh and Ginny make sure Harry knows you can't start the rest of your life until you're out of school, you have one year left. "

Ginny turned red, "Don't worry Mum, " then she grinned, "I plan on playing professional quidditch for a while so I'm in no big hurry." With that Ginny quickly stepped out the door and made her way to breakfast."

Arthur started chuckling at the look on Molly's face, he was followed by George bellowing an outright laugh.

Molly said, "Oh you two just stop it now."

They both laughed harder and Molly couldn't help but smile. As this was happening the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione came down and couldn't believe George was laughing.

Bill said, "What's so funny?"

Molly refused to say so George tried to calm down, "We were talking… about the future. People getting married… and having babies and Mum… told Ginny not to think about it… because she still has a year of school left. Ginny said not to worry… she was planning… on playing professional quidditch first, and then… she ran out the door. Now Mum can't even argue about it." George started laughing again.

Ron asked, "Does she have an offer yet?"

Arthus said, "I don't think so. Is she really that good?"

Ron said, "Yes. She's nearly as good as Harry as seeker and I bet she could beat Bill one on one as a chaser easily."

Charlie asked, "So how good is Harry?"

Ron said, "The only games he lost were the ones he where he was knocked out. Once it was because of dementors attacking him in third year the other was in sixth when I was in the hospital and they had to use McLeggin as Keeper. He took one of the beater bats away and smacked the bludger into Harry's face. I think Harry could give beat a good number of the professionals."

Hermione said, "I was talking to Victor Crum once about Harry. He thought given a few years to mature that Harry would give him a hard time."

Molly said, "I heard Neville and Harry heading for breakfast a bit ago and Harry was looking for his clothes."

Hermione smiled, "Got them right here." And she shook her beaded bag and she heard a klunk and grimaced, "There went the books again."


End file.
